Cooling unit for refrigerating systems



Get. 9, 1934. E. R. HOPKINS 1,975,945

COOLING UNIT FOR REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 22. 1932 INVENTOR,fiierf E? 15 40/9028.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 9, 1934 COOLING UNIT FOR REFRIGERATING SYSTEMS I Ernest R.Hopkins, Kansas City, Mo., assignor of one-half to James P. Curry,Kansas City, Mo.

Application August 22,

I V 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a cooling unit for a refrigerating system andhas for aprimary object, provision of a cooling unit for'such apparatus,wherein is used a liquid refrigerant that must be lowered in temperatureafter it has passed through the system, and especially the compressorthereof.

One of the objects of the instant invention is to provide a cooling unitfor refrigerating sysld tems of the smaller type that are used incooling domestic and commercial food storage cabinets,

and it is one of the objects of the invention to provide a cooling unitfor such refrigerants that employs water as a cooling medium, whichwater is handled and caused to act upon a refrigerant coil in a uniqueand novel manner.

Thisinvention contemplates theuse of a comparatively small case, whereinare created cer tain reservoirs, chambers, and ports, all of whichcombine to lower the temperature of the cooling medium to a degree whereit is effective in removing a large number of heat units without the useof complicated parts and mechanical movements which tend to complicatethe system and increase its cost of operation.

A yet further object of this invention is to provide a cooling unit ofthe character specified, wherein a series of spray heads set up acurrent of air, through which current the water from the sprayheadpasses in a reversed flow direc-. tion after the force impartedto'the water in the spray head hasbeen spent.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a cooling unitthat is exceptionally compact, may be installed in a refrigerating'system' requiring the cooling of a .refrigerant has no working parts toget out of order and create expense, and is not expensive to maintain.

With these general objects in mind, the invention will be morespecifically described by reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken-away side elevation of a cooling unit embodyingthis invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, central section through the same, taken on line11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detailed, sectional view through the valve whichautomatically maintains the water level within the unit, and,

Fig. 4 is a broken-away side elevation of a cooling unit embodying amodified form of the invention.

As previously set forth, this unit is especially adapted for use incooling a refrigerant and in this instance the liquid refrigerant ispassed through a continuous coil 6 which receives the 1932, Serial No.629,859

refrigerant from the compressor of the system, not here shown, at leadpipe 8 and discharges the cooled refrigerant to the container at pipe10, which is positioned at the bottom of case 14;

This case may be made of suitable material such as sheet metal, and thelowermost portion there of maintained closed to form reservoir 12 sothat water or a similar cooling medium might be contained therein. I Anintake port 16 is formed through each side wall of case 14 and above thebottom thereof. These ports, inthe preferred form, are opposite eachother and above the level of the water within reservoir 12, and topreclude cross drafts *or direct circulation, a deflector apron 18 isse' cured to the outside of case 14 adjacent each port 16 and extendsdownwardly and outwardly so that air reaching the interior of case 14 iscaused to travel through a circuitous path.

A deflector bafile 20 is secured to the inner side of case 14 just aboveeach port 16, as shown in Fig. 2, so that spray water falling downwardlywill be deflected toward the center of reservoir 12 and precluded fromescaping through ports 16. The upper end of case 14 is opened andadjacent said end there is disposed a plurality of inwardly projecting,downwardly angled, overlapping baflies 22, against which water may bedirected from a series of spray heads 24, located near the bottom of aspray chamber 26 that is created between ports and bafiles 16 and 20respectively-and baflies 22. Spray heads 24 are connected with reservoir12 by pipe line 28, in which is interposed pump 30 for the purpose ofdrawing water from reservoir 12 and forcing the same upwardly throughspray chamber 26 from spray heads 24'. As seen in Fig. 1, pipe line 28terminateswithin reservoir 12 at a point adjacent the top thereof, whichpoint should be maintained slightly below the level of the water'kepttherein. As pump-30 functions, water is drawn from reservoir 12 and sentupwardly through spray chamber 26. The force of the jets of water atthe-series of spray heads 24 will draw air through ports 16 and a.circulation will be set up which willcause a continuous draft throughspray chamber 26 and out the open upper end of case 14. When the waterfrom spray heads 24 strikes baffles 22 it will fall, by the action ofgravity, back toward reservoir 12 against the draft of air and thence tothe point of beginning within reservoir 12. Such action has been foundto be exceptionally efficient in remov-j ing heat from the cooled mediumand water within reservoir 12 will be kept cold enough to effe'c tivelycool the refrigerant within coil 6.

The level of Water within reservoir 12 is preferably maintainedconstant, and since there is always a small amount of water to be addedto the supply, a connection 32 to the water surface line is made and avalve 34 interposed therein for the purpose mentioned. This valve 34 hasa float 36 which is pivoted as at 38 for the purpose of bearing againstball 40 when the level of the water is normal. Ball 40 bears againstseat 42 and precludes the passage of water into reservoir 12 when float36 is resting upon the surface of the water which has been previouslydetermined as a proper level.

In practice, pump 30 may be driven by the motor which is used inactuating the compressor of the refrigerating system and since theentire unit is exceptionally small, it may be placed adjacent the othermechanical parts which are usually at a point remote from the cooledcompartment Many modifications are possible in constructing a unitcontemplated by this invention, and one modification has beenillustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Case is substantially the same asthe one heretofore described, and the lower portion thereof may be madeprecisely the same, if desired. The two ends of a coil 52 pass from thereservoir and a pump 54 forces water from this reservoir to a number ofspray heads 56, all of which are joined to spray pipe line 58. Ihebaffling within spray chamber of this unit is somewhat different thanthe preferred form in that V-shaped baffles 62.extend inwardly from thesides of case 50 to overlap each other and present a zig-zag path oftravel for the air passing into the intake port at the bottom and outexit 64 a fiacent the top. Spray heads' 56 create jets that are forcedinthe direction of travel of the air, and there is at least one sprayhead at 40 the base of each baffle 62. 7

'When the force of the spray has been spent,

water will fall upon the upper surface of baflie 62 and flow by theaction of gravity back to the reservoir to the bottom of case 50. Flowof this return water will be opposite to the draft of air passingthrough case 50, and the same effective heat exchange will beaccomplished as heretofore mentioned. Exit 64 is protected by suitableoffset eliminators or the like 66, to preclude the escape of water fromcasing 50.

As indicated by the foregoing, the size of this unit may be altered inaccordance with the amount of refrigerant handled and modifications asto structure might be practiced without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems having a liquid refrigerant,comprising a case; an intake port formed through the side of said caseintermediate the top and bottom thereof; an exit formed at the top ofsaid case; baille plates within the case intermediate the intake portand exit; and a series of spray heads disposed to direct jets of waterupwardly toward the said exit and from said intake port whereby to setup an air current through said case toward the exit, said baffle platesbeing angled downwardly to direct the released water through said aircurrent toward the said intake port the baffle plates being projectedtoward each other from opposite sides of said case.

2. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems having a liquid refrigerant,comprising a case;

point at the top of said reservoir to the spray an intake port formedthrough the side of said case near the bottom thereof; an exit formed atthe top of said case; a reservoir at the bottom of the case below thesaid intake ports; a refrigerant coil within the reservoir; a series ofspray heads disposed to direct jets of water toward the said exit andaway from said intake within the case; a pipe joining said spray headsand said reservoir; and a pump to force water from a heads.

3. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems having a liquid refrigerant,comprising a case; an intake port formed through the side of said casenear the bottom thereof; an exit formed at the top of said case; areservoir at the bottom of the case below the said intake port; arefrigerant coil within the reservoir; a series of spray heads disposedto direct jets of water upwardly toward the said exit and away from saidintake within the case; a pipe joining said spray heads and saidreservoir; a pump to force water from the reservoir to the spray heads;a water supply pipe in communication with the reservoir; and afloat-operated valve to maintain the water within said reservoir at apredetermined level, said pipe joining the spray heads'and reservoirbeing connected to the latter at a point imme diately below the saidpredetermined level.

4. In a cooling unit for refrigerating systems, '05 a case having anopen'top; a pair of opposed downwardly inclined, overlapping baffieswithin the case adjacent the top thereof; a series of aligned sprayheads to direct jets of water upwardly toward said baflles; a reservoirat the 111 bottom of said case; andmeans tocarry water from thereservoir to the spray heads, the free edge of the lowermost baffleplate being in the same plane as said aligned spray heads whereby theforce of the spray is in direct opposition '15 to the returning waterrunning from the said bafile plate.

" 5. In a. cooling unit for refrigerating systems,

a case having an open top; a'pair of opposed downwardly inclined,overlapping baffles within '25 the case adjacent the top thereof; a'series of aligned spray heads to direct jets'of water upwardly towardsaid baflies; a reservoir at the bottom of said case; means to carrywater from the reservoir to the spray heads; and air intake ports formedthrough opposite walls of said case above the reservoir, the free edgesof the said baffie'plates being in the plane with said aligned sprayheads.

6. In a cooling unit-forrefrigerating systems; a case; a. waterreservoir formed by the case at the bottom thereof; a refrigerant coilwithin the reservoir; a'series of spray heads within the case; intakeports formed in said case below said spray heads and above thereservoir; means for forcing water from a point adjacent the top of saidreservoir through all .of' said spray heads; means to supply water tosaid reservoir; and means to maintain the water within the reservoir ata level above the take-off point.

'7. In a cooling unit for refrigerating systems; a case; a reservoirformed within the case at the bottom thereof; a coil housed by thereservoir; an intake port formed by the case immediately above thereservoir; an exit formed at the top of said case; a series ofoverlapping V- shaped bafiles between the intake port and exit;

a spray head at the base of each bafile and directed toward the outeredge thereof; and means for forcing water from the reservoir to said foospray heads alternate bafiles being projected toward each other fromopposite sides of said case.

8. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems having a liquid refrigerant,comprising a case; a reservoir formed by the case at the bottom thereof;a spray head within the case; a refrigerant coil Within the reservoirhaving its intake at the top and its outlet at the bottom; and means forforcing water from the reservoir through said spray heads, said meansremoving Water from the reservoir at a point intermediate the topthereof and the said coil therein.

9. A cooling unit for refrigerating systems having a liquid refrigerant,comprising a case;

a reservoir formed by the case at the bottom thereof; a refrigerant coilwithin the reservoir; spray heads above the reservoir within said case;baflie plates carried by the casing between said spray heads and saidreservoir whereby to set oif a spray chamber Within the case above thesaid reservoir; an inlet port formed above the reservoir through onewall of that part of the case forming the spray chamber; and an exitformed through the opposed wall of that part of the case forming thespray chamber, said spray chamber inlet and exit ports being disposed inparallel planes.

ERNEST R. HOPKINS.

